Find Financial Assistance for Patients Recovering from COVID through Help Hope Live

There is financial help for people struggling to deal with the expensive burden of living with long-hauler COVID symptoms. At Help Hope Live, we understand what you’re going through and we’re here to help.

Financial Help for COVID Patients with Severe Illness

It can take anywhere from several weeks to an unknown amount of time to recover from severe COVID-19 illness, and you may be in the intensive care unit and possibly even on a ventilator. This means, depending on your insurance, you will incur some substantial hospital and long-term care costs.

“If you’re recovering from a severe case of COVID-19, it can take some time for your strength and pulmonary function to return back to normal,” says Dr. Septimus. “If you spend time on a ventilator, it will take some time to regain your independence to the point where you can go home” and how much time just depends on how much strength you lost and how much damage has been done to your lungs” (Houston Methodist on Health).

The list of long-hauler COVID symptoms can vary. For some, the symptoms can be completely different than the original symptoms they experienced from when they first contracted COVID-19. The most common long-hauler symptoms include:

• Headaches
• Coughing
• Fatigue
• Loss of taste and smell
• Difficulty sleeping
• Body aches
• Joint pain
• Shortness of breath
• Brain fog

Brain fog can be the most confusing for people experiencing long-hauler symptoms. Patients typically feel forgetful, confused or unable to concentrate for even the most mundane of tasks. This typically happens to patients that have been in an intensive care unit for a prolonged period of time, but it’s rare.

It is not uncommon for patients to feel better after an extended period of time and then experience a relapse.

A University of Washington study found 30 percent of people who had COVID were still experiencing symptoms after six months; a study by Imperial College London showed almost 15 percent reported three or more symptoms after 12 weeks. Early research indicates between 10 and 30 percent of people who get COVID-19 may face long-term issues.

Since COVID is a new health threat, little information exists on the long-term effects of this illness. Much of the information is anecdotal. However, there are steps you can take to raise money if you had a lengthy hospitalization, continue to suffer symptoms, or are in need of a lung transplant after COVID.

If COVID has caused you or someone you know severe lung damage requiring a transplant, read on to find fundraising information.

Financial Assistance for Patients Recovering from COVID

In one year, one long-hauler COVID patient’s insurer was billed $1,071,187.36. Help Hope Live offers financial support for COVID patients via fundraising. Through community-based fundraising, our nonprofit organization is dedicated to helping those in need to raise funds for medical treatment costs associated with COVID.

Although the costs for ‘long-haulers’ are as varied as their symptoms, one thing is certain: there are millions of people who need a great deal of help long after their apparent ‘recovery’.

How Does COVID Support Fundraising Work?

Fundraising with our nonprofit works as follows:

1. Submit a campaign request for assistance at helphopelive.org/get-started/apply
2. You’ll be paired with a Client Services Coordinator
3. Your Coordinator will provide you with one-on-one fundraising help, including personalized fundraising materials and guidance on how to rally your community, share your story on social media, reach out to the press, plan in-person or virtual fundraising events, and much more

How Is Help Hope Live Different from GoFundMe?

Help Hope Live differs from GoFundMe by:

• Verifying your medical need for complete donor confidence
• Enabling donations that are tax deductible
• Providing one-on-one fundraising help
• Managing all funds raised to protect your state-based benefits (funds raised are not considered personal income/assets to you)

We are a nonprofit with decades of fundraising experience and a 4-star Charity Navigator rating.

Does Community-Based Fundraising Work?

Here are a few Help Hope Live COVID fundraiser success stories:

"Donations are tax deductible, unlike many other platforms. We are much more comfortable with that."

Pharmacist Jim Teltschik and his family learned he would need a lung transplant due to the damage caused by COVID-19. Their medical professionals and case managers recommended that they start a fundraising campaign with Help Hope Live to assist with the out-of-pocket expenses associated with Jim’s recovery and lung transplant journey. They have raised more than $28,000 and continue to fundraise.

"When we started with Help Hope Live, the numbers we were receiving were a bit frightening."

Jamie Azar‘s family was overjoyed when she was finally able to breathe on her own again following intensive COVID-19 care and recovery. However, Jamie’s short- and long-term out-of-pocket burdens remain significant. Documenting each step of her journey on her Campaign Page to share updates with the community, Jamie’s family continues to fundraise with Help Hope Live for all the COVID recovery costs insurance refuses to cover.